Philly Leader

Flyers players hit the ice at Flyers Training Center in Voorhees for the first day of NHL training camp. As he has done throughout his NHL coaching career, John Tortorella set aside the first day of camp for an ultra-grueling skating test (three sets of eight laps apiece).

"This is year three [as Flyers head coach]," Tortorella said, adding about the skating test that he doesn't care about players' finishing times but the competitive drive to push through fatigue and discomfort.

"There are a lot of great athletes in this league. No one wants to be embarrassed," Tortorella added.

The skating test groups went in the following order:

Group 1 (8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.): Notable participants included Sean Couturier, Tyson Foerster, Travis Konecny, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Egor Zamula.

Group 2 (9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.): Notables included Noah Cates, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko, rookie Matvei Michkov, Owen Tippett, Jamie Drysdale, Erik Johnson, and Nick Seeler.

Group 3 (10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.): Notables included Bobby Brink, Nick Deslauriers, Garnet Hathaway, Scott Laughton, Travis Sanheim, and Cam York.

"It's a physical test but even more a mental test," said veteran defenseman Johnson, who did a similar test his first three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche under Jared Bednar.

Goaltenders did not participate in the skating test. Instead, they tested on stationary bikes. Samuel Ersson and Sam Hillebrandt were in Group 1. The second group featured Ivan Fedotov and Carson Bjarnason. Cal Petersen and Eetu Makiniemi were in Group 3.

On Friday and Saturday, pucks will be on the ice for the first time in camp. There will be a series of three scrimmages per day with one group scrimmaging twice. Group 1 has two scrimmages on Friday. Group 3 does double scrimmage duty on Saturday.

News and notes:

Nearly all the players pushed through to complete their skating tests. That does not mean there weren't quite a few players feeling the effects of skating lap after lap with the "Torts Rope" in the middle of the ice to provide a landmark to skate around and prevent anyone from taking shortcuts.

Sean Couturier is coming off core muscle surgery in the offseason; he said his procedure was much more minor than other players with different types of core injuries. As with Johnson's comments earlier regarding mental challenges over physical aspects during these tests.

A couple times during their skating group session Travis Konecny gave Couturier little pushes helping him generate forward momentum much as linemates sometimes do before skating up ice "Yup got little helping hand there from TK" Couturier said grinningly

Luchanko was one smoothest fastest skaters during tests Everyone slowed down different degrees as tests wore but Luchanko held better most

Drysdale added eighteen pounds muscle over summer reporting camp at hundred ninety-six pounds He coming off core muscle surgery offseason Drydale stayed Voorhees all summer rehabbing preparing camp

Drysdale among those struggling Apart injury rehab it was first time doing such tests "It everything made out be definitely grind" Drysdale said

Ristolainen had two surgeries past year one season another after separate issues feels fine now big Finn approach not pacing himself "I just go out on first rep see what happens"

Flyers alternate captain Scott Laughton started post-skate media session paying tribute late Johnny Matthew Gaudreau behalf team sending condolences Gaudreau family "They won't forgotten around here"